International bilateral customers including Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE) from the Benin Republic, Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET) from Togo and Société Nigerienne d’Electricité (NIGELEC) from the Niger Republic owe Nigeria a total of $19.97 million debt as payment for electricity supplied to them in first six months of 2025.

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the international customers being supplied by Generation Companies (GenCos) made a payment of $14.81 million against the cumulative invoice of $34.78 million issued by the market operators for services rendered in first and second quarter of 2025.

A breakdown of the total debt indicate that Paras-SBEE paid nothing of the $2.42 million and $2.77 million invoice issued to them in the first and second quarter (January-June) of the year; Paras -CEET paid $0.63 million in first quarter, out of $1.92 million and paid nothing of $2.02 million invoice in second quarter.

Transcorp-SBEE (Ughelli) paid $1.82 million and $5.47 million for $4.97 million and $5.47 million invoice received respectively in the two quarters. Transcorp SBEE (Afam) also paid $0.30 million and $0.95 million for $1.73 million and $1.28 million invoices received in the period.

Mainstream-NIGELEC in the two quarters paid $3.03 million and $2.69 million, out of $3.04 million and $3.71 million invoices received. Also, Odukpani-CEET paid nothing for $3.16 million and $2.29 million invoices received in the first two quarters of the year.

The Commission also reported that Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd and the host community, did not make any payment towards the N1.38 billion (NBET) and N0.13 billion (MO) invoices received in first quarter as well as N1.27 billion (NBET) and N0.12 billion (MO) invoices received in second quarter respectively.

It decried the longstanding trend of non-payment by the company, and stressed the need for intervention by the relevant federal government authority.

Also, many Nigerian electricity consumers defaulted in the payment for electricity supplied to them in the period, from January to June 2025, to the tune of N368.26 billion.

The report showed that the eleven Distribution Companies collected a total of N1.11 trillion out N1.48 trillion billed in the period.

NERC in the report stated that the most proven methods to improve energy accounting and revenue recovery are accurate customer enumeration and the installation of end-use customer meters.

As of June 2025, DisCos have metered more than 107,000 Band A customers through the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) scheme.

“In addition to the MAF, DisCos are expected to continue to utilise any of the metering frameworks provided for in the NERC MAP and NMMP metering regulation (2021) to improve end-use customer metering in their franchise areas.

“This will reduce commercial and collection losses, thereby improving the flow of funds to upstream market participants in the NESI,” the regulator stated. (BusinessDay)